Display device



- March12,1935.

S. C. GILL. ET AL.

DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Aug. 11, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1.

il I] Vin 70 415:

, W Arrow/5r March 12, 1935. s. c. GILL ET AL DISPLAY DEVICE 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Fild Aug. 11, 1934 March 12, 1935. s. c. GILL ET AL1,993,836

' DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Aug. 11, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig. 4.

II] ll llllllll'll Patented Mar. 12, 1935 WT D -Es r DISPLAY DEVICESydney Charles Gill and Sydney Dallaway,

London, England Application August '11,.1934,Jse"ria1 No. 739.499

In Great Britain April 6, 1933 j .10 Claims. (01. 272-43) This inventionrelates to display devices, more I particularly to display devicesemploying thewell known Peppers ghost illusion.

, According. to the present invention an opaque member' forming about aquarter of a sphere is mounted for rotation substantially about itsgeometrical centre, which at the same time -forms its sole point of Isupport. The; memberv may be formed or a hollow semi-sphere, which, whenmade of metal, has substantially one half thereof removed, whilst, whenmade of transparent material, has substantially one half thereofrenclered opaque. In the hollowmemberis preferably mounted a lampforilluminating purposes; the heatoi this lamp serving to rotatethe'member.: When using themember with a transparent screen inclined tothe horizontal, the geometrical centre of the member is preferablylocated directlyabove the upper edge of the screen so that, on rotationof the member above the screen there is a gradual change from dark tolight'or vice versa on opposite sides of the screen so. that objectslocated on opposite sides of the screen appear, when viewed in thescreen, as merging one into the other.

' The invention will now be described with reference to theaccompanying" drawings, wherein:- Fig. 1 shows. a front elevation of adisplaydevice,'the front door being omitted.

I Fig.2 shows a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3'show's a sectional-plan, and .Fig'. 4 shows a sectional elevationof. a portion 0131a: slightly modified form of the device;

As-shoTwn'in Figs'. I to 3, a'transparent screen l, preierahlycomposedof tinted glass layers, such asc'anti-dazzle. glass sold bn the marketunder the registered: trade-mark Triplex, is mounted So'asto heinclinedforwardly at an angle of about 45%?inacasiiig; 2. f

.Centrally above the. upper edge of the screen 1 iszarranged; a rotaryhollow member formed of a circular base plate 4- from which depends asemisphericali bowl 3. ()ne half." ofv this bowl 3 istransparent'fwhilst the other half is opaque. The same result may be'obtainedby omitting one: half 5 ot' the' bowl-3 as shown. At the-centreof the base plate.v is providedta. cup-shaped bearing. 6 which engageswith a pivot 7 attached to a sup; port 8. carried on the upper edgeofthe screen I or'by a cross; piece secured to'the casing and. ex--tending just above the upper edgeof the inclined screen and parallelthereto. The support may, however, be secured position many othersuits-'- able' manner. The pivotahcf bearing 6 iorm the-sole support-forthe bowl 3- and are's'o 841 the bowl takes upits absolutelycentralposition above the upper edge o' f'the screen.

I The base plate 4,o f--the bowl 's pr ierably made of light metal, suchas aluminium, and is provided with blades or vanes 19, which .are cuttherefrom, forthe purpose oi its rotation as hereinafter describes. IThebowlmay'be made of glass or othertransparent material, one halfthereof being made opaque. .The -bowlmay, however, consist only of halfa semi-sphere, which is opaque, and is-preierably-madeof light metal,suclras aluminium. In order to avoid undesired reflection, the opaqueportion is-preferably providedinside atgla "and outside at 3b with amattblackcoatingg:

The bearing support .8 eritends into the bottom of the bowl 3 through anopening 11in the latter and preferably. consists-of oneor more loops, to

which there are secured-the pivot land asocket 12 for anincandescentelectric-lamp.13. The leads liior this lamp extend to the;support 8 :and its carrier 15, 01; when the latter is hollow,

a drop of lead, serve to balance the coating or the bowl member whenthis is formed as half' of a senile-sphere." I

Above the upperedge of the screen 1, there is mounted; a vertical plate16', preferably black- .ened on both sides as indicated at 16a and 16b,

of which the lower edge extends parallel with theupperedge of the screen1 and abuts against this;- The plate-l6 may be of any suitable materialsuch-as cardboard, metal or wood. This plate 16 extendsaupwardly-toabout the level of the base plate; )4 and is provided with asemicircularcut-outportion 17 to receive the bowl 3. A' slightclearance is leftbetween the cut-out portion 17 and the loowl'ii to permit of freemovementor the latter. .A small circular orsemicircular disc 18 is alsosecured horizontally in the cut-out portion 1'? "adjacent the opening 11in the bowl 3 so as to .prevent'light from the lamp l3 from: passingthrough the opening ll in the bowl 3.

1 In the ba'ek'l 9'of the casing, one or more objects 1921 are arranged.behind the screen liwhich arexadapted to be viewed through the screenand through an -alperture 20 ingthe: front of the casing 2. In thebottom 21 of the casing, in front of the screen 1, are also placed oneor more objects 21a adapted to be viewed through the aperture byreflection in the screen.

In the front panel of the cabinet may be provided a second aperture 22,above the first 20, in which may be placed an inscription dealing withthe objects in front of and behind the screen. This aperture ispreferably arranged on the same level as the bowl 3.

Above the base plate 4 there may also be mounted an apertured plate 23or a crossbar 23a, which at the centre is provided with a hollow boss orring 24 extending in spaced relation around the bearing 6 so as toprevent this from beingdise. engaged from the pivot 7. The boss 24 andpivot 7 or bearing 6 may be made adjustable if desired.

In use the lamp 13 when illuminated sets up by reason of its heat acurrent of air which passes over the blades or vanes 10 and thus rotatesthe bowl 3. The air after passing the blades 10 passes upwardly throughthe apertures in the plate 23 above the base plate 4 or around the crossbar 23d and then out of the cabinet, which may be provided with asuitable cowl or chimney.

On the rotation of the bowl 3 the screen 1 is illuminated by the lightpassing through the transparent or open half of the bowl 3, theillumination on opposite sides of the-screen 1 being gradually cut offor increased so that when looking into the aperture 20 the articles infront of and behind the screen 1 appear gradually to merge one into theother, whilst the inscription in the aperture 22 gradually appears anddisappears. r

For the purpose of levellingthe cabinet, it is preferably mountedonthree adjustable feet 25.

The second aperture 22 may' contain a sheet 22a of plain or frostedglass 3.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4 a rod 26 is detachably secured, asby screws 27, to the plate 16. The rod 26 carries the boss 24 and at itsends is provided with hooks or loops 28. Between these hooks or loops 28extends an elastic'band 29 which when in the chain-dotted positionraises the bowl" 3 whereby the bearing 6 is raised oif the pivot 7 andmoves a cone 30 into a conical seat 31 in the boss 24. This arrangementis particularly suitable for preventing the bowl 3 from rocking duringtrans-- port.

In this construction two lamps 32 and 33 are 1. In a display apparatusthe combination with a transparent screen inclined substantially at 45to the horizontal, of an opaque member forming about a quarter ofasphere, mounting means for said member, said member being mounted insaid mounting means above said screen substantially about itsgeometrical centre; said geometrical centre being located verticallyabove the upper end of the screen and forming the sole point of supportfor said member, said member comprising a base of metal, a plurality ofvanes in said base, and a body forming substantially a quarter of asphere depending from said base, and a source of light located in saidbody, the arrangement being such that the heat from the source of lightin passing between said vanes, said member is caused to rotate wherebythe light from the source of light alternately illuminates oppositesides of the screen, the change in illumination of the opposite sides ofthe screen being effected gradually as a result of the rotation of themember.

2. In a display apparatus the combination with a casing, and a screenlocated at an angle of about 45 to the horizontal in said casing, of asupporting frame mounted in said casing, above said screen, a bearingelement carried by said supporting frame, a semi-spherical member, abearing'element carried by said semi-spherical memher, said bearingelements cooperating with one another and forming a centreof rotationfor said member, said centre of rotation being substantially at thegeometrical centre of said member and being located directly above theupper edge of said screen, said member having substantially one halfthereof opaque and theremainder thereof transparent, a plurality ofvanes located at the diametrical plane of said member, and a source oflight located in said member.

3. A display apparatus of the character described comprising a casing,an inclined screen in said casing, a support carried by the upper end ofsaid screen, a bearing element carried by said support, a hollow member,said member comprising a circular base and a semi-spherical bowl securedto said base, said bowl having one half thereof transparent and theremainder opaque, a bearing element on said base plate, said bearingelement cooperating with the first mentioned bearing element and formingtherewith a centre of rotation for the hollow member, said centre ofrotation being located at the geometrical axis of the hollow member, asource of light mounted on said support and inside said hollow member, a

plurality of vanes on the said base, said'casing having a viewingaperture in the front thereof opposite said screen, a back on saidcasing, said back being adapted to receive an article to be viewedthrough said aperture and said screen, and a bottom in said casing, saidbottom being adapted to receive an article to be viewed through saidaperture by reflection in said screen.

4. A display apparatus of the character described comprising a casing,an inclined screen in said casing, a support carried by the upper end ofsaid screen, a bearing element carried by said support, a hollow,member, said member com prising a circular base and a semi-sphericalbowl secured to said base, said bowl having one half thereof transparentand the remainder opaque, a bearing element on said base plate, saidhearing element cooperating with the first mentioned bearing element andforming therewith a centre of rotation for the hollow member, saidcentre of rotation'being located at the geometrical axis of the hollowmember, a source of light mounted on said support and inside said hollowmember, a plurality of vanes on the said base, said casing having aviewing aperture in the front thereof opposite said screen, a back onsaid casing, said back being adapted to receive an article to be viewedthrough said aperture and said screen, and a bottom in said casing, saidbottom being adapted to receive an article to be viewed through saidaperture by reflection in said screen, said casing having a secondaperture therein, said second aperture being located above the firstmentionedaperture and on the same level as the hollow member.

5. A display apparatus of the character described comprising a casing,an inclined screen in said casing, a support carried by the upper end ofsaid screen, a bearing element carried by scribed comprising a casing,an inclined screen in said casing, a support carried by the upper saidsupport, a hollow member, said member comprising a circular base and asemi-spherical bowl secured to said base, said bowl having one halfthereof transparent and the remainder opaque, a bearing element on saidbase plate, said bearing element cooperating with the first mentionedbearing element and forming therewith a centre of rotation for thehollow member, said centre of rotation being located at the geometricalaxis of the hollow member, a source of light mounted on said support andinside said hollow member, a plurality of vanes on the said base, saidcasing having a viewing aperture in the front thereof opposite saidscreen, a back on said casing, said back being adapted to receive anarticle to be viewed through said aperture and said screen, and a bottomin said casing,said bottom being adapted to receive an article to beviewed through said aperture by reflection in said screen, a partitionextending across the. casing above said screen, said partition having acut out portion adapted to accommodate the hollow member with a slightclearance, a disc in said out out portion directly below the hollowmember, a reflector inside said hollow member and above said source oflight, and a second reflector inside said casing at the front thereof,said second reflector being adapted to reflect the light from saidlightsource down the front of said screen.

6. A display apparatusof the character described comprising a casing, aninclined screen in said casing, a support carried by the upper end ofsaid screen, a vertical pivot on said support, a hollow member, saidmember comprising a circular base and a semi-spherical bowl secured tosaid base, said bowl having one half thereof transparent and theremainder opaque, an inverted cup-shaped bearing on said base plate,said bearing and pivot forming the sole support for said hollow memberand being so arranged that the hollow member is supportedand is capableof rotation about its geometrical centre, a source of light mounted onsaid support and inside said hollow member, a plurality of vanes on saidbase, said casing having a viewing aperture in the front thereofopposite said screen, a back on said casing, said back being adapted toreceive an article to be viewed through said aperture and said screen,and a bottom in said casing, said bottom being adapted to receive anarticle to be viewed through said aperture by reflection in said screen.

'7. A display apparatus of the character deend of said screen, a bearingelement carried by said support, a hollow member, said member comprisinga circular base and a semi-spherical bowl secured to said base, saidbowl having onev half thereof transparent and the remainder opaque,abearing element on said base plate, said bearing element cooperatingwith the first mentioned bearing element and forming therewith a centreof rotation for the hollow member, said centre of rotation being locatedat the geometrical axis of the hollow member, a source of light mountedon said support and inside said hollow member, a plurality of vanes onthe said base, said casing having a viewing aperture in the frontthereof opposite said screen, a back on said casing, said back beingadapted to receive an article to be viewed through said aperture andsaid screen, and a bottom in said casing, said bottom being adapted toreceive an article to be viewed through said aperture by reflection insaid screen, a spider I at the top of the casing, a recessedboss at thecentre of said spider, said'boss being normally spaced from the secondmentioned bearing, attaching means in said casing, and aflexible bandextending between said attaching means, said flexible band when attachedto said attaching means being adapted to raise the hollow member so asto move the second bearing element away fromthefirst bearing element andinto engagement with saidboss.

8.- A display' apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the member comprises a hollow semisphere of metal of whichsubstantially one half thereof is removed.

9. A display device according to claim 2, wheretached portions, saidportions being slightly bent to form vanes.

SYDNEY CHARLES GILL.

SYDNEY DALLAWAY. 7

